"Michelle -- for the past twenty-five years, you've been not only my wife and mother of my children, but my best friend," he exclaimed. "You took on a role you didn't ask for and made it your own with grace and grit and style and good humor."

"You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody," he continued. "And a new generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model. You've made me proud. You've made the country proud."

Michelle was equally emotional during her final address as first lady earlier this month, in which she encouraged young people not to "let anyone make you feel like you don't matter, or like you don't have a place in our American story."

"Don't be afraid, do you hear me?" she advised. "Young people, don't be afraid. Be focused, be determined, be hopeful, be empowered. Empower yourselves with a good education. Then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of your boundless promise. Lead by example with hope, never fear. And know that I will be with you, rooting for you and working to support you for the rest of my life."